The agency has taken delivery of eight catamaran patrol boats and 10 other patrol boats from various donor countries, notably Australia.

“The patrol boats are Bakorkamla’s first to be built using the state budget. We plan to build six 48-meter patrol boats by 2014,” Bambang told the Post at private shipyard PT Palindo Marine in Tanjung Uncang, Batam.

Also attending the ceremony were the Indonesian Navy’s Western Fleet chief Rear Adm. Arif Rudiyanto, as well as officials from bureaucratic reform and defense ministries.

As the patrol boats are meant for maritime security, they are armed with 12.7 millimeter machine guns but, more importantly, they are equipped with sophisticated surveillance devices. Onboard long range cameras have a scope of up to 20 kilometers and satellite technology can monitor shipping from Bakorkamla’s headquarters in Jakarta.

“The boats have a cruising range which can reach the entire EEZ,” Bambang said.

“We have also coordinated maritime security issues with other interested parties such as the navy, the police and the customs and excise directorate general.”

He added that the patrol boats would be deployed wherever they were most needed.

KN Bintang Laut was made by PT Palindo Marine and KN Singa Laut by PT Citra Shipyard. The shipbuilders are located next to each other.

Four more 48-meter boats will also be made by domestic shipyards.

PT Palindo Marine president director, Harmanto, said that some 60 percent of components were domestically manufactured.

The hull is made using steel while the upper structure is from made from aluminum which results in good stability, Harmanto said.

Hermanto also claimed the vessels were assembled entirely by an entirely Indonesian workforce in only one year.